February 25, 2011 (I Chronicles 6-10, Various Psalms)

These chapters in Chronicles are once again pretty boring, except for this ending:

^10:13 So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. He failed to obey the Lord’s command, and he even consulted a medium ¹⁴ instead of asking the Lord for guidance. So the Lord killed him and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

Pretty brutal recap of Saul's life and one that I wouldn't want to have written about me.

Psalm 81 shows not only the faithfulness of God:

⁷ You cried to me in trouble, and I saved you;
      I answered out of the thundercloud
      and tested your faith when there was no water at Meribah.

but it also shows how God will let us suffer the consequences if we turn from Him:

⁸ “Listen to me, O my people, while I give you stern warnings.
      O Israel, if you would only listen to me!
 ⁹ You must never have a foreign god;
      you must not bow down before a false god.
 ¹⁰ For it was I, the Lord your God,
      who rescued you from the land of Egypt.
      Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.

 ¹¹ “But no, my people wouldn’t listen.
      Israel did not want me around.
 ¹² So I let them follow their own stubborn desires,
      living according to their own ideas.
 ¹³ Oh, that my people would listen to me!
      Oh, that Israel would follow me, walking in my paths!
 ¹⁴ How quickly I would then subdue their enemies!
      How soon my hands would be upon their foes!
 ¹⁵ Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him;
      they would be doomed forever.
 ¹⁶ But I would feed you with the finest wheat.
      I would satisfy you with wild honey from the rock.”

February 24, 2011 (I Chronicles 1-5, Various Psalms)

These beginning chapters of I Chronicles are pretty much chronicling the genealogies, pretty boring stuff. But this gem was in there as well:

^{I Chronicles 5:20} They cried out to God during the battle, and he answered their prayer because they trusted in him. So the Hagrites and all their allies were defeated.  ²² Many of the Hagrites were killed in the battle because God was fighting against them. 

And then again, what happens over and over, not only in their lives but in ours:

^5:25 But these tribes were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors. They worshiped the gods of the nations that God had destroyed.

Sometimes I wish I could be a "Monk"and just worship God all day and not be tempted to 'worship the gods' all around me. It's so easy in this life to get off track...to be consumed with all the 'cares of this life' and seemingly lose sight of God, His grace and His plan. But I guess that's the tension - what He is trying to teach us - to be 'in' the world, but not 'of' the world. I must just continue to keep the truth of His word before me, remembering this:

^{Psalm 73:23} Yet I still belong to you;
      you hold my right hand.
 ²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
      leading me to a glorious destiny.
 ²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
      I desire you more than anything on earth.
 ²⁶ My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
      but God remains the strength of my heart;
      he is mine forever.

 ²⁷ Those who desert him will perish,
      for you destroy those who abandon you.
 ²⁸ But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
      I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
      and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

He IS wonderful - as I wrote that I thought of this passage in Isaiah:

^{Isaiah 9:6}For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

This passage is a prophecy of Jesus - and yes, He IS wonderful. Thank You Jesus that in the midst of all that we go through down here, You are preparing a place for us. You love us with an everlasting love and nothing can change that. Thank You for taking the pain and punishment of the cross so that we could go free.

February 21, 2011 (Various Psalms)

Out of all the Psalms I read this morning, I found that I really liked this one.

Psalm 19

 ¹ The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
      The skies display his craftsmanship.
 ² Day after day they continue to speak;
      night after night they make him known.
 ³ They speak without a sound or word;
      their voice is never heard.
 ⁴ Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
      and their words to all the world.

   God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
 ⁵ It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
      It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
 ⁶ The sun rises at one end of the heavens
      and follows its course to the other end.
      Nothing can hide from its heat.

 ⁷ The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
      reviving the soul.
   The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
      making wise the simple.
 ⁸ The commandments of the Lord are right,
      bringing joy to the heart.
   The commands of the Lord are clear,
      giving insight for living.
 ⁹ Reverence for the Lord is pure,
      lasting forever.
   The laws of the Lord are true;
      each one is fair.
 ¹⁰ They are more desirable than gold,
      even the finest gold.
   They are sweeter than honey,
      even honey dripping from the comb.
 ¹¹ They are a warning to your servant,
      a great reward for those who obey them.

 ¹² How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
      Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
 ¹³ Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
      Don’t let them control me.
   Then I will be free of guilt
      and innocent of great sin.

 ¹⁴ May the words of my mouth
      and the meditation of my heart
   be pleasing to you,
      O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.


I love verses 9 & 10, and realize after these last few days (it's now Feb. 24th and I never finished this one), that even though I THINK I love those verses, I haven't really shown that by my actions.  My prayer today is verse 14. 

February 20, 2011 (II Samuel 6-10)

David returned the Ark of the Lord to the City of David, and in so doing he danced and celebrated before the Lord. Here is the abbreviated story:

^6:16 But as the Ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him.

 ²⁰ When David returned home to bless his own family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him. She said in disgust, “How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!”

 ²¹ David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord. So I am willing to act like a fool in order to show my joy in the Lord. ²² Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, but I will be held in honor by the girls of whom you have spoken!” ²³ So Michal, the daughter of Saul, remained childless throughout her entire life.

I know from the New Testament, God doesn't like us judging others. This story shows it as well. I know that is my tendency, and I see once again how wrong it is. God help me to pray to You about any 'injustices' I see and just leave them to You.

Chapter 7 is intriguing to me in many ways. David tells the prophet Nathan that he wants to build a temple for God. Then God gives Nathan a message to deliver to David. I even wonder about that aspect. God spoke directly to David numerous times. So why this time does He speak through Nathan? Perhaps to have 'a witness' as to the conversation? Here is the first intriguing part to me:

^7:11   “‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will build a house for you—a dynasty of kings! ¹² For when you die, I will raise up one of your descendants, and I will make his kingdom strong. ¹³ He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴ I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will use other nations to punish him. ¹⁵ But my unfailing love will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed before you. ¹⁶ Your dynasty and your kingdom will continue for all time before me, and your throne will be secure forever.’”

So Nathan tells that to David who in turn prays this to the Lord:

²⁵ “And now, O Lord God, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever. ²⁶ And may your name be honored forever so that everyone will say, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is God over Israel!’ And may the house of your servant David continue before you forever.
 ²⁷ “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, I have been bold enough to pray this prayer to you because you have revealed all this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you—a dynasty of kings!’ ²⁸ For you are God, O Sovereign Lord. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant. ²⁹ And now, may it please you to bless me and my family so that our dynasty may continue forever before you. For you have spoken, and when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign Lord, it is an eternal blessing!”

Now when I read verse 13 I didn't think of Solomon, I thought of Jesus. Jesus is the One whose kingdom will be eternal. I think these set of verses apply to Solomon as well, because of the one that talks about "if he sins", but I think the overarching message from God was that He doesn't need a physical temple because His children would be His temple, and that because of Jesus, the kingdom will be eternal.

And then when I read the end of chapter 7, it struck me that David didn't see 'the big picture'. He was thanking God for blessing him and his family so that 'our dynasty' may continue forever. I really think he 'missed it' and perhaps because of this exchange thought he was 'invincible'. Perhaps this played a part in his sin of adultery that follows. Just speculation on my part....

February 17, 2011 (I Samuel 28-31, II Samuel 1-5, Various Psalms)

In these chapters in Samuel, Saul is killed and David becomes king. Throughout these chapters we see David's uncompromising trust in God. And David realized that it wasn't all about him, but about God's plan.

^{2 Samuel 5:10} And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies was with him.

¹² And David realized that the Lord had confirmed him as king over Israel and had blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

Whenever David went into battle, He talked to God about it - asking what he should do. If only I could remember to bring everything before God first before I act.

The other thing I noticed in these chapters is all the children David had - and all pretty much by different wives. That can't be a good thing....

As I read these next verses I though of Koa and how her eye is always on me - watching to see what I will do next.

^{Psalm 123:1} I lift my eyes to you,
      O God, enthroned in heaven.
 ² We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy,
      just as servants keep their eyes on their master,
      as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.

God, I watch for, and need, Your mercy.

February 16, 2011 (I Samuel 25-27, Psalm 17-18, 35, 54, 63)

In I Samuel 26, David went into Saul's camp while they were sleeping, walking right up to them and taking Saul's water jug and spear.

¹² So David took the spear and jug of water that were near Saul’s head. Then he and Abishai got away without anyone seeing them or even waking up, because the Lord had put Saul’s men into a deep sleep.

God can do anything He wants. He is in control of every aspect of this world.

Then as I read the Psalms that were written during this time, I saw David's heart and the reason for his trust in God's deliverance.

^18:18 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
      but the Lord supported me.
 ¹⁹ He led me to a place of safety;
      he rescued me because he delights in me.
 ²⁰ The Lord rewarded me for doing right;
      he restored me because of my innocence.
 ²¹ For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
      I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
 ²² I have followed all his regulations;
      I have never abandoned his decrees.
 ²³ I am blameless before God;
      I have kept myself from sin.
 ²⁴ The Lord rewarded me for doing right.
      He has seen my innocence.

 ²⁵ To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
      to those with integrity you show integrity.
 ²⁶ To the pure you show yourself pure,
      but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.
 ²⁷ You rescue the humble,
      but you humiliate the proud.
 ²⁸ You light a lamp for me.
      The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.
 ²⁹ In your strength I can crush an army;
      with my God I can scale any wall.

 ³⁰ God’s way is perfect.
      All the Lord’s promises prove true.
      He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

And as he was out in the wilderness, I can just imagine him writing this one:

Psalm 63

A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah.

 ¹ O God, you are my God;
      I earnestly search for you.
   My soul thirsts for you;
      my whole body longs for you
   in this parched and weary land
      where there is no water.
 ² I have seen you in your sanctuary
      and gazed upon your power and glory.
 ³ Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
      how I praise you!
 ⁴ I will praise you as long as I live,
      lifting up my hands to you in prayer.
 ⁵ You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
      I will praise you with songs of joy.

 ⁶ I lie awake thinking of you,
      meditating on you through the night.
 ⁷ Because you are my helper,
      I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
 ⁸ I cling to you;
      your strong right hand holds me securely.

 ⁹ But those plotting to destroy me will come to ruin.
      They will go down into the depths of the earth.
 ¹⁰ They will die by the sword
      and become the food of jackals.
 ¹¹ But the king will rejoice in God.
      All who trust in him will praise him,
      while liars will be silenced.

February 15, 2011 (various Psalms)

I'm sick. I've been sick for days. I don't like being sick, and I'm not sick that often - so I'm thankful for that. God's word brings healing to my soul - may He now bring healing to my body.

^27:4 The one thing I ask of the Lord—
      the thing I seek most—
   is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
      delighting in the Lord’s perfections
      and meditating in his Temple.
 ⁵ For he will conceal me there when troubles come;
      he will hide me in his sanctuary.
      He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

 ⁷ Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
      Be merciful and answer me!
 ⁸ My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
      And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”

^31:3 You are my rock and my fortress.
      For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger.
 ⁴ Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me,
      for I find protection in you alone.
 ⁵ I entrust my spirit into your hand.
      Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God.

 ⁶ I hate those who worship worthless idols.
      I trust in the Lord.
 ⁷ I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love,
      for you have seen my troubles,
      and you care about the anguish of my soul.

^34:6 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
      he saved me from all my troubles.
 ⁷ For the angel of the Lord is a guard;
      he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

 ⁸ Taste and see that the Lord is good.
      Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

^52:8 But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God.
      I will always trust in God’s unfailing love.
 ⁹ I will praise you forever, O God,
      for what you have done.
   I will trust in your good name
      in the presence of your faithful people.

^56:9 My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help.
      This I know: God is on my side!
 ¹⁰ I praise God for what he has promised;
      Yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised.
 ¹¹ I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
      What can mere mortals do to me?

 ¹² I will fulfill my vows to you, O God,
      and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help.
 ¹³ For you have rescued me from death;
      you have kept my feet from slipping.
   So now I can walk in your presence, O God,
      in your life-giving light.

^120:1 I took my troubles to the Lord;
      I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.


^142:5 Then I pray to you, O Lord.
      I say, “You are my place of refuge.
      You are all I really want in life.
 ⁶ Hear my cry,
      for I am very low.

February 13, 2011 (I Samuel 16-24, Psalm 11, 59)

Samuel is now all about David, and there is much to learn from his life. He had an extreme desire for the glory of God's name, and an extreme faith in God's protection and love over him. Here are just a couple examples:

^17:37 "The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”


^17:45 David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! ⁴⁷ And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”


^18:14 David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him.


^23:14 David now stayed in the strongholds of the wilderness and in the hill country of Ziph. Saul hunted him day after day, but God didn’t let Saul find him.


^24:15 May the Lord therefore judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power!”

And then we see his heart from the words of Psalm which he wrote:

^{Psalm 11:1} I trust in the Lord for protection.
   So why do you say to me,
      “Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!


⁴ But the Lord is in his holy Temple;
      the Lord still rules from heaven.
   He watches everyone closely,
      examining every person on earth.


⁷ For the righteous Lord loves justice.
      The virtuous will see his face.


^{Psalm 59:9} You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me,
      for you, O God, are my fortress.
 ¹⁰ In his unfailing love, my God will stand with me.
      He will let me look down in triumph on all my enemies.


¹⁶ But as for me, I will sing about your power.
      Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.
   For you have been my refuge,
      a place of safety when I am in distress.
 ¹⁷ O my Strength, to you I sing praises,
      for you, O God, are my refuge,
      the God who shows me unfailing love.

February 11, 2011 (I Samuel 12-15)

It's not about us. As much as we want to always make it about us, it's not. It's about God and the glory of His name.

^12:20 “Don’t be afraid,” Samuel reassured them. “You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship the Lord with all your heart, and don’t turn your back on him. ²¹ Don’t go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you—they are totally useless! ²² The Lord will not abandon his people, because that would dishonor his great name. For it has pleased the Lord to make you his very own people.

And this verse always convicts me when I read it.

^12:23 “As for me, I will certainly not sin against the Lord by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right.

And after Samuel tells the people he will pray for them, he reminds them of their responsibility:

^12:24 But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you. ²⁵But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be swept away.”

In this next section, Saul is preparing for war and Samuel hasn't arrived yet. So he offers the sacrifice himself, something strictly forbidden. When Samuel arrived and confronted him, here was his response:

^13:11 Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. ¹² So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”

His first response was to justify his actions. He blamed his men and he blamed Samuel and he even tried to say he had good intentions, but the truth of the matter was that he directly disobeyed.

Samuel replied to him:

^13:13 “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. ¹⁴ But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” ¹⁵ Samuel then left Gilgal and went on his way, but the rest of the troops went with Saul to meet the army. 

We never see where Saul confessed and repented. And Samuel's prophecy showed the true problem - he didn't have a heart that wanted to follow and honor God.

Chapter 15 is one of the 'saddest' chapters in the Bible. I'll just use some of the main verses to summarize what happened.

^15:1 One day Samuel said to Saul, .... ³ Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”


^15:7 Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt. ⁸ He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. ⁹ Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.


^15:10 Then the Lord said to Samuel, ¹¹ “I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the Lord all night.

^15:19 Why haven’t you obeyed the Lord? Why did you rush for the plunder and do what was evil in the Lord’s sight?”


^15:20 “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul insisted. “I carried out the mission he gave me. I brought back King Agag, but I destroyed everyone else. ²¹ Then my troops brought in the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”

^15:22 But Samuel replied,

   “What is more pleasing to the Lord:
      your burnt offerings and sacrifices
      or your obedience to his voice?
   Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
      and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
 ²³ Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
      and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
   So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
      he has rejected you as king.”

^15:34 Then Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul returned to his house at Gibeah of Saul. ³⁵ Samuel never went to meet with Saul again, but he mourned constantly for him. And the Lord was sorry he had ever made Saul king of Israel.

I think Saul's pattern of "justified disobedience" led to his downfall. A warning for us all.